Local Natives Hummingbird
(Frenchkiss Records) Sounds like: The highly-anticipated follow-up to the astounding Gorilla Manor is maybe not as potent at first, but nonetheless excellent quiet indie rock. Free association: Tough to live up to their debut, but it’s a noble, valiant effort. For fans of: Animal Collective x Fleet Foxes + CSNY, Givers/the Shins, the Keds, Brooklyn. (B.C.)

Lisa Loeb No Fairy Tale
(429 Records)
Sounds like: The queen of the nerdy ‘90s’ first adult record in more than eight years isn’t far from her Reality Bites days, but with less grungy angst, more Clueless girl power. Free association: Just think of all the girls in glasses and Doc Martens who’ll love this. For fans of: Liz Phair/Paula Cole/Shawn Colvin/Jewel, Elaine Benes, retro florals. (B.C.)

The Spinto Band Cool Cocoon
(Redeye Label) Sounds like: The fourth from the Delaware dudes, Nick Krill’s quintet, is another delicately pretty batch, full of dreamy, wistful indie folk. Free association: Local love to these guys. How often does Wilmington get love? For fans of: Yo La Tengo/Superchunk/ Pavement x Of Montreal, handclaps & harmony. (B.C.)

ON THE IDIOT BOX

RuPaul’s Drag Race Mondays, 9pm, Logo Captive audience: Fans of cross-dressing, burlesque revues and neverending drama. Moment of truth: It’s strange. The last time I reviewed RuPaul’s Drag Race in this space, I had a gay ol’ time with it. So, why am I not feeling the new, fifth season much? For starters, there are too many damn drag queens this time around! There are 14 contestants this season (with names like Alaska, Detox and—my fave—Penny Tration, the first cast-off), some of them not so much entertainingly bitchy as just plain bitchy. (There is one narcoleptic drag queen who I’m sure the show will have fun with.) Hopefully, RuPaul herself can keep this divafest delightfully campy with her double-entendre-spitting fierceness. Emmy or phlegmmy: Phlemmy. (Craig D. Lindsey)

House of Cards Currently streaming on Netflix.com Captive audience: Political dramas; people who love watching Kevin Spacey when he’s hammy. Moment of truth: While everyone waits for that new season of Arrested Development to hit Netflix Instant in May, the streaming video service has another original series you can sample. Adapted from a BBC miniseries and produced by David Fincher, this savvy, sinister political drama has Spacey rocking a Southern-fried accent as a congressman who sets a vengeful plan in motion after getting passed over for Secretary of State. Netflix has released the whole season, so you can “binge watch” the entire thing or take in this modern-day Richard III slowly, the way I’m gonna do it. Emmy or phlegmmy: Emmy. (C.D.L.)

The Following
Mondays, 9pm, Fox Captive audience: Police-procedural watchers, serial-killer thriller fans; people who can’t get enough of seeing gory shit on network TV. Moment of truth: Fox and Dawson’s Creek creator Kevin Williamson somehow got renowned actor’s actor Kevin Bacon to come to TV and headline this weekly thriller, where he plays a troubled, retired FBI agent who gets brought into an investigation when a killer (James Purefoy) he caught rounds up a cult of followers to do his bidding. While the pilot looked both promising and menacing, I’m uncertain whether they can keep this going on a weekly basis, especially when the serial killers-in-training are more callow than cold-blooded. At least Bacon is around, looking exceptionally pensive. Emmy or phlegmmy: Phlemmy. (C.D.L.)